Questions tagged [equipment]

For questions pertaining to maintenance of, usage of, and other musical aspects of equipment (the physical structures used in the creation of music).

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29 votes
7 answers
2k views

What tools should every guitarist have?

What tools should every guitarist have to do most small/medium projects for their guitars? (change strings, tuners, knobs, pickups)
25 votes
8 answers
6k views

Is redundancy used when live recording important performances?

From the wikipedia page about redundancy: [...] redundancy is the duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system, usually in ...
wizclown's user avatar
  • 373
24 votes
7 answers
90k views

What is the difference between monitors and (loud)speakers in technical terms?

I have seen people mention (reference) "monitors" when talking about equipment for (semi)-professional musicians, but when I google the products I find that they look just like the boxes that we used ...
KnowledgeSeeker's user avatar
24 votes
6 answers
9k views

Why can't we leave all mics on during a gig?

We have a six person blues band. Our bass player is also our sound person. During a gig, he periodically forgets to turn on mics for soloists or turn on instruments from the board. My husband has ...
Evelyn Ward's user avatar
23 votes
1 answer
3k views

What is this metal M-shaped device for?

I inherited this with a box of piano sheet music, some of which was for beginners, and vaguely recall seeing one ages ago at a music store. It’s about the right size for wearing like a pair of brass ...
brichins's user avatar
  • 342
21 votes
11 answers
3k views

Guitar for a patient with a spinal injury

I work as a physiotherapist at a rehabilitation hospital. I am looking to help a patient get back to playing guitar. He suffered a cervical spine injury and has no control over his fingers in both ...
Ciara Murphy's user avatar
20 votes
10 answers
4k views

In electronic music equipment and software, what are some good ways of cutting costs without sacrificing quality/effort?

I'm interested in getting into producing electronic music (EDM, house, whatever I end up digging at the time), but I've recently run into a roadblock: money. Potential costs include: Computer DAW ...
Pat Lillis's user avatar
17 votes
3 answers
5k views

What's this w-shaped ebony item from my grandma's violin case?

What's this w-shaped ebony item from my grandma's violin case? Possible it's not violin-related.
it's a hire car baby's user avatar
16 votes
4 answers
3k views

What is the purpose of this concert equipment?

What is the purpose of that equipment and how is it called? I have noticed they always have them in concerts with electronic instruments.
Carlitos_30's user avatar
15 votes
9 answers
15k views

How to keep music books open?

You know, many sheet music books are quite springy and would rather close than stay open on the music stand while practising. How do you keep them open while allowing to turn the pages easily?
Esteban Martinez's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
931 views

How can a snare's activation be made quieter?

I play the snare drum in an ensemble that plays a lot of classical music, and in order to avoid having the snare rattle during percussion rests, I make a habit of turning off the snare during long ...
redyoshi49q's user avatar
14 votes
5 answers
8k views

How can some USB 2.0 audio interfaces support phantom power through USB alone?

I'm planning to buy an audio interface and it being exclusively bus powered is a requirement. However I also use condenser mics which require phantom power. Now I'm a bit confused about why some bus-...
Andrei Sch.'s user avatar
12 votes
4 answers
46k views

Can turning on an amplifier without a connected load (cab) cause damage?

I don't recall where or from whom, but I heard that switching on an amplifier head without a connected load (a cab, that is) may cause damage—presumably to the tubes, but perhaps something else, I'm ...
Andrew Cheong's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
8k views

What do I need to start playing violin amplified?

I play acoustic violin, but would like to start playing amplified sometimes. But when I start looking into equipment, I get lost in options. Piezos? Microphones? DI boxes? Pre-amps? Speaker systems? ...
Karen's user avatar
  • 6,441
12 votes
2 answers
380 views

Upon loading a track, the CDJ 2000 automatically goes through very quickly (~5 sec per one min of track)

Whenever I load a new track, it automatically goes through very quickly, unless I touch the jog, in which case everything goes back to normal:  Any idea what could ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
10 votes
5 answers
4k views

Are large displays bad in a recording studio?

The other day I visited a friend's home studio, and I noticed the computer was hooked up at a quite small display. Probably 19 inches, maybe even 17. I asked why, and my friend said that a larger ...
Panda Pajama's user avatar
10 votes
6 answers
2k views

Lower guitar tuning

I know that there are devices to quickly lower a guitar’s E string into drop tuning. Are there also devices or effects pedals to lower the entire guitar? There’s a lot of rock music in E-flat tuning (...
Bradd Szonye's user avatar
  • 6,698
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

Mysterious plastic tube arriving with double bass strings

New double bass strings may include a short and thin (about 1 centimeter long) section of a plastic tube. It's the D string which goes through the tube. What is it, the tube? What is one supposed ...
Jirka Hanika's user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
7k views

Difference between recording with a microphone in front of the amp vs. using an amp simulator?

I am going to record music with the guitar and bass guitar. However, I am still undecided between using an amp with microphone, and an amp simulator. Which of the two would be a better choice when ...
kamauz's user avatar
  • 423
9 votes
1 answer
2k views

What do the labels on drumsticks (5A, 7B, etc.) mean?

There are different letters and numbers that different drumsticks carry, such as 5A, 7B. What do they represent? Does the material used (different woods, aluminium, etc.) have a bearing on the ...
Tim's user avatar
  • 193k
9 votes
3 answers
40k views

Microphone pick up patterns for live performance - advantages/disadvantages of cardioid, supercardioid or hypercardioid?

I perform in small venues (sing and play acoustic/electric guitar) through a small PA system with a monitor on stage. I have several Shure SM58 Microphones that have a cardioid pickup pattern. I ...
Rockin Cowboy's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
4k views

Why are "music bags" with the metal bar a distinct bag for sheet music?

Though these look old-fashioned one can still buy "music bags", special satchels or briefcases designed to carry sheet music. They are easily distinguished from other bags because one of the handles ...
dumbledad's user avatar
  • 2,519
8 votes
8 answers
3k views

What is needed for an electric woodwind?

My wife is a music teacher. She's a classically trained saxophonist, and has been playing almost all of her life. Recently she saw a video which included an electric woodwind, and she just about went ...
Matthew's user avatar
  • 293
8 votes
4 answers
16k views

How to connect a line signal to a guitar amp?

My Laney Lv300 Tube Fusion Combo amp, doesn't have a Line-In, as such. It merely has one "Input" on the front, for the guitar and a pair of FX sockets, as an FX Loop (FX Send and FX Return). It also ...
Felinis's user avatar
  • 81
8 votes
3 answers
850 views

Epiphone SG-400 and straps

New owner of an Epiphone SG-400 and obviously beginner at playing guitar, I am somehow surprised to see that unlike the guitars I have so far been able to touch, the strap "hook" on the neck side is ...
user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
672 views

How to become a DJ

I'd like to become a DJ, and to tell the truth, I also have made many tracks using Encore notation software. But, now that I want to bring it to reality, I don't know what instruments to purchase. A ...
Saeed Neamati's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
496 views

what's the difference between light rosin and dark rosin?

I see two basic kinds of rosin available, light rosin and dark rosin. What's the difference between these?
luser droog's user avatar
  • 15.1k
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

What are the advantages of different mouthpiece sizes?

I played horn from age 10 until age 22, and after a couple of years off I'm starting to play again. I was always pretty mediocre, so I was content to use my elementary-school Holton MDC mouthpiece the ...
bdesham's user avatar
  • 370
8 votes
1 answer
531 views

On stage earplugs - what do I technically need?

I'm rehearsing and playing live with a band who work at very high sound levels that I find uncomfortable, and after some discussions it's obvious that I'm going to have to get used to it (or leave, ...
Steve Mansfield's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
7k views

What is the function of the black strip on the lower horn of a Fender Precision bass

What is the function of the black strip below the fretboard on the lower horn? Some basses have it, some don't
No'am Newman's user avatar
  • 1,643
7 votes
5 answers
52k views

Can I daisy chain two mixers together to create more input channels (a sub mixer)?

Last week in a live show I had some guest singers join me on stage for additional harmony and I had maxed out my mic channels and could not add another microphone. I love my powered mixer and don't ...
Rockin Cowboy's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

How Do I Make an Electric Upright Bass Sound More Standard?

So I've been playing an Electric Upright bass for about a year now; I have fallen in love with how easy it is to carry around and set up for street performing. I was wondering if anybody here had ...
SophisticatedUsername's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
840 views

How can I rehearse and perform with PDF scores on screen instead of paper scores?

As a chorus and opera singer, I have gotten tired of lugging thick opera scores everywhere. Most of the music I sing is public-domain, and the scores are freely available in in PDF form. I am working ...
Jim DeLaHunt's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
23k views

What's this thing attached to trumpet?

I hope the image won't bother you guys. As you can see, there's something attached to trumpet's mouth(?). Well I'm not a trumpet player because when I first heard the sound of that, it feels more ...
seseorang's user avatar
  • 4,137
6 votes
2 answers
331 views

What do shorter-than-thirty-two-note MIDI pedalboards bar you from playing?

There have been questions before about what utility can be derived from a two-octave keyboard in terms of learning any keyboard idioms. Well, two five-octave MIDI controllers and a volume pedal seem ...
JohnnyApplesauce's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

How can I play two overlapping parts with different sounds on keyboard?

I'd like to be able to play two separate overlapping parts using different sounds, without having to invest in two separate keyboards. In my new project, we're moving from some arrangements laid ...
Lucy's user avatar
  • 91
5 votes
6 answers
3k views

Is it advisable to use hand grippers to train for barre chords

First of all I just started doing barre chords after learning ordinary non-barre chords. Problem is they don't sound so well, so my question is, will training with hand grippers help me achieve this? ...
John Smith's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Is it normal for an Oud/Lute not keeping in tune?

I just bought a 12 string oud/lute from Egypt, and I'm having some problems with its tuning. Sometimes when I twist the tuning peg to get in tuning, it releases suddenly and drops the tuning all the ...
ViniciusPires's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
4k views

Cheap audio interface for recording electric guitar

So, I own an electric guitar, and I would like to record it using my laptop. I live in a place where I can't possibly play without headphones, so I can't mic the amp. My idea was to buy a cheap USB ...
Syl4r39's user avatar
  • 153
4 votes
5 answers
636 views

Guitarist and Bassist as only Bandmembers - Rhythmsection?

We are two individuals, one is playing guitar and sings and the other plays bass. We would like to just cover some rock songs we like and love. However, we do not really want to add another person for ...
Labello's user avatar
  • 185
4 votes
2 answers
270 views

What is this flat thing on Ray Chen's bridge?

A recently released video of Ray Chen playing Clair de Lune shows what appears to be a strange flat object on the violin bridge. I thought originally that it was maybe part of the tailpiece or ...
marcellothearcane's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
3k views

Floyd Rose in Standard Tuning with .011 gauge strings

I have always played with medium to heavy gauge strings in standard tuning. I got used to that feel while in school for Jazz Studies and have stuck with it ever since. I'm interested in learning ...
Joe Cannatti's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
326 views

What type of trumpet should a beginner use?

I'm thinking about getting a trumpet to practice at home for fun. I want to know what type of trumpet is best for me. I'm in 4th grade and need something to do at home. I need to know the difference ...
Marcs Tcidineb's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
167 views

Play E-Drums with Pedals only?

Let me explain. We are a two-man-group. My mate is doing guitar and vocals and I am doing bass and percussion. Some time ago I build (soldering and then also really assembling) myself a set of 6 drum-...
Labello's user avatar
  • 185
4 votes
2 answers
148 views

Concert equipment or software

If I want to perform to my family with a microphone, what equipment should I have at least? My voice is not loud compared to the piano, and I also want to add some effects to my voice such as reverb, ...
ThePortakal's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
17k views

What are some ways I can secure my piano stand so it isn't moving as much?

I just got the L85 stand for Yamaha P95 (with 3-pedal LP5), assembled the whole thing, and when I started playing, I noticed that it is moving quite a bit when I play something faster, or just hit the ...
Jakub Arnold's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
383 views

influence of the bridge on how much a guitar "chugs"

Long story short, I am wondering about the influence that the bridge (considering always the same type - a Floyd Rose-like bridge) has on how much the guitar chugs. To expand a bit more. I have ...
BCArg's user avatar
  • 242
4 votes
6 answers
3k views

Connecting two mixers

I'm piggy-backing off "Can I daisy chain two mixers together for more input channels". In that question, I read that I can do that, so long as the submixer is going into the powered mixer through RCA ...
jsellers's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
107 views

Do nickel-free bassoons exist?

I am allergic to nickel. I come up in itchy bumps after contact. I would like to try playing bassoon but all the ones I have looked at have nickel silver keys, which isn't silver at all but is nickel. ...
Hazel's user avatar
  • 41
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

Tips for creating a dynamic guitar tone?

I'm not new to guitar, but I am pretty new to the world of gear and tone. I've spent around 6 years playing without paying too much attention to tone. Recently I've really enjoyed the tone from Chon ...
Nathan Renegar's user avatar